Looking to complete the season series sweep against Valparaiso, the Eastern Illinois men’s & women’s swimming teams put forth a positive showing versus the Crusaders. The EIU women trumped Valpo 160-87, as the EIU men fell just short 126-136. EIU earned a combined 17 first place honors in the dual meet against the Crusaders.
The EIU women once again got things started early as Lauren Oostman, Kelsey Ferguson, Danielle DiMatteo, and Kaylee Morris touched to wall first in the women’s 200-yard medley relay at 1:52.53.
Morris claimed top honors in the 50-yard freestyle (24.62) and once again in the 100-yard freestyle (54.00). Oostman breezed through the 100-yard backstroke as her first place time of 1:01.34 was nearly five seconds ahead of the next competitor. Martee Grainger had the fastest time in the 200-yard freestyle with her time of 2:02.26. Teammates Joann Wakefield and Ferguson were neck-and-neck in the 100-yard breaststroke, but Wakefield pulled ahead right at the end at 1:09.87, while Ferguson finished at 1:10.69. Renae Johnson and Niki Beringer pushed each other till the end in the 200-yard backstroke as Johnson finished with the top time at 2:20.09 and Beringer in a close second place at 2:20.24. Paige Eavenson posted a time of 1:03.06 for first place honors in the 100-yard butterfly. Ferguson rounded out the list of top individual finishes for the EIU women with her first place rank in the 200-yard IM (2:17.03).
Just like they did in their last meet, the EIU women ended the night with a first place mark in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Oostman, Grainger, Morris, and Caitlin Danforth finished the event with a time of 1:42.62.
Steve Fishman, Matt Jacobs, Patrick Wood, and Stephen Truchon earned second place honors in the men’s 200-yard medley relay to start the meet for the Panthers.
Fishman followed that with a pair of individual first place marks in the 50-yard freestyle (22.11) and in the 200-yard backstroke (1:57.07). Brogan O’Doherty touched the wall first in the 100-yard backstroke with his time of 51.77. Teammate Matt Jacobs followed the trend of top times, as he earned one for himself in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:13.99). Nicholas Harkins posted the fastest time in the 200-yard IM at 2:02.86. Jennings Soccorso completed the top individual times for the EIU men with his time of 4:56.09 in the 500-yard freestyle for a first place honor.
The EIU finished the meet with a first place mark in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Fishman, Truchon, O’Doherty, and Witzki posted a time of 1:26.79 in the event.
The EIU men’s & women’s swimming units will conclude their 2015-16 regular season next Saturday (Jan. 30) with a rematch at Saint Louis.
